Pages

Tuesday, July 12, 2016

Comics Rant: Swamp Thing #6

The epic conclusion to the six issue Swamp Thing mini series is here. It's rare these days that comics are only six issues and even rarer that they are on time. But I guess that's what happens when you have old pros like Wein and Jones to handle your book. Unlike modern creators they focus on one title. Whereas you have one guy trying to write several books and keep them fresh and on time. Think Jason Aaron or Brian Bendis or Paul Jenkins in the early 2000's. Just like that. But, you know, with less Spider-Man involved.

So the Matt Cable Swamp Thing is still wrecking shit in Louisiana. Waiting for the US Govenment to hand over the country to him. So he can, ahem, better protect us. And by protect us, he means to rule us. I mean they both go pretty much hand in hand, right? We can all rejoice because Alec Holland is back to claim the Swamp Thing mantle from Matt Cable. Just in time too, 'cause the government is looking to bomb the shit out of Louisiana. Man, that seems like their answer to everything.

Hey, Holland isn't alone, he's brought Zantanna, the Spectre and the Phantom Stranger with him as backup. The three of them use their powers to re-open the Hand of Fatima, which if you've been reading all my rants, you know that that damn thing is the source of all this mess to begin with. But there's another twist here, too. Matt Cable isn't really Matt Cable. He's Anton Arcane. Dun, dun, dun.

Anton breaks out the whole bad guy tells us everything routine from most films and comics. Matt Cable was legit trying to help his buddy, Alec Holland, stop being Swamp Thing and retrieve the Hand of Fatima. But while coming down the mountain where he found it, he was caught in an avalanche. Isn't that always the case?

While trapped under the snow and dying, Cable agreed to give his body to Arcane. That's when our boy Arcane decided to steal the powers of Swamp Thing, that and attempt to make an awesome caesar salad with those powers, as well. I know that's my first order of business. With the newly reopened Hand of Fatima, Alec Holland gets his Swamp Thing powers back. Matt Cable gets his body back and goes into a coma while Arcane is carried to hell by the Spectre to be tortured for all eternity. Bummer.

Since Holland is back as Swamp Thing, Uncle Sam calls off the nuclear attack and all is right with the new DCU. Swamp Thing slinks back off, into the shadows, to watch over the south and the green. Great tale, and since it was only six issues, we got an ending that didn't lead into more issues. Sometimes a nice, well told and contained story works best. This was a home run in every way. Get it in trade or the single issues. It's worth every cent.